


the sun will never set

by hoverbun



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Emotional Sex, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:53:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27991062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoverbun/pseuds/hoverbun
Summary: She is scouting for the future, even as it tries to scorch her path.
Relationships: Kan-E-Senna/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	the sun will never set

**Author's Note:**

> written for a dear friend who tumbled head first into loving kan-e and requested the most loving fic of their wol and her. how could i not!

When she heard that Raubahn was making plans to host the Alliance leaders in the bedrooms of the Palace, Ardith volunteered her own for whoever needed it.

"I'll work on the evening patrol," she says, back straight and looking up, stronger than her whole body felt. "There's still fighting, even if we've secured the Royal Palace."

"You're out of your mind," Raubahn grunts. "After whatever sense of hell Zenos put you through, I'd be committing a damn crime having you run city drills ousting pockets of conflict instead of resting. There's less resistance than we planned, anyhow. You needn't be there."

She worries her lip between her teeth. "I want to make sure I'm where I need to be."

"And where you need to be is in your room." Raubahn shakes his head. "I sound like your bloody father… Rest, Warrior of Light. That's what they say when they want you to listen, don't they?"

Ardith flinches. He doesn't need to know every stone that heaves her baggage. It's all well intended—even she can tell through the hazy ache. "Aye. But please… call for me if the fighting gets worse."

"We have Doman shinobi for scouting parties—" Raubahn takes pause. "Of course. Now go."

She lifts her arm in the memory of the salute she remembers from her brief enlistment among the Flames, and leaves him without meeting the cautious smile he tries to return.

It takes Ardith little time to find the hallway where the former royal families would occupy, yet she still carries a distinct feeling of being lost. Perhaps it is the sense of disconnect she feels from walking through halls only recently occupied by soldiers and bloodshed. There is a window that opens to the central courtyard, where soldiers in yellow and blue uniforms are taking apart Garlean made barricades. The corpses have been taken away, or at the very least, covered. 

She leans against the open glass. Raubahn may have shooed her away with the same intent that a guardian would his child, but his expectations can only reach her so far. Ardith sighs, exhaling a breath she wasn't aware she was holding.

In her mind, she is scouting for the future, perhaps for the first time since the Alliance's arrival at Porta Praetoria. There is a pressure that sits in her skull, swollen and uncomfortable, that recites the battle plans she's been memorizing since Pipin Tarupin realized his orders carry a lot more weight than he expected: organize scouting parties, help wounded citizens, find what Garlean technology they can use that won't make people sick with memories, repair what is damaged. She also thinks about what her first hot meal in a free Ala Mhigo could be. It feels like an indulgence she shouldn't even consider, as if their reality is still the Eorzea she knew from a year ago.

She hears one of the doors open. Even without knowing who exits, she stands a little straighter.

"Greetings, Warrior of Light," comes Kan-e-Senna's gentle tone, which makes Ardith snap open her eyes and twitch rigid.

"Elder Seedseer!" she proclaims, a light finding her words. "You—I hope you have found yourself some rest."

She walks in her white robes, yet is without her conjury cane. It allows for Kan-e to step closer to Ardith, who reaches for her with reverence. She feels like the familiar shade of the wood, a blessing in the overwhelming beauty of the Ala Mhigan sun.

"Would seem that, though General Aldynn sent us to our chambers. you were unprepared," Kan-e says, with a deep affection colouring her tone.

"Truthfully, I anticipated you among the Adders," Ardith admits. "Ishgard's own prince is, after all."

"I suppose it is the heat." Kan-e takes Ardith's hand, the gentle brush of the glen warm in Ardith's calloused palms. "You looked to be in thought before I decided to interrupt you. Are you well?"

It is difficult to look away from her, but Ardith's eyes cannot stray from the Ala Mhigan court for long; it is beautiful, the peak of sunlight spilling down like golden hair across bare shoulders.

Her smile is quiet. It blooms under her skin, and surges like a warm front. "I believe so. I…. don't think I have the words to describe it all."

"I understand." Kan-e strokes her thumb across Ardith's bruised knuckles. "I hope I have not impressed upon you. Surely, I can convince you to rest."

Ardith looks over her shoulder. "Of course. I've just been thinking. Admiring. There wasn't much time during the battle."

"Why, of course." Kan-e grants her a second smile, and releases her hands. "I will be in the third bedroom. When you wish to rest, come lay with me. I would appreciate your company."

As she departs, it feels as twin suns learn to set; where Ardith feels the Ala Mhigan sky brush her skin, the way Kan-e bows her head and turns to her guest bedroom reminds her of a sun departing beyond its horizon. The natural smile that found its way to Ardith's face fades.

She couldn't place the exact time of day; evening, surely. It has been some time since the hour's last bell. Ardith looks back out the window to the court, and feels a discomfort coil in her throat when she sees three blue coated Flames shuffle from behind the impressionate statue of the court. Though she is some distance from the ground, she can read the tension in how they walk. One grips their arm with the telltale sign of an injury, and Ardith wonders how deep it may have cut. The violence of war haunts every warrior, after all. No matter their creed or code. When Ardith closes her eyes this time, she thinks of Velodyna. Abania. The Menagerie. 

It flashes through her thoughts as a streak of Rhaglr's lightning; blood and fear. The assumption of joy. Beasthood, or being condemned to the thrill of a hunt. She doesn't want the words of a corpse to haunt her, but it  _ haunts  _ her, and when she opens her eyes she sees a world where the soldier instead bleeds from their throat.

If she were not already rid of her armour, blade, and shield, Ardith may have fallen to the ground from the shock. It snaps around her whole body, shaking her with the sudden epiphany of terror. Ardith backs away from the window with a firm push, twisting to run. She crashes against the third door of the too-small corridor and throws the door back behind her.

Kan-e jumps from her perch on the bed. "Ardith!"

The blessing of her voice is warm like the heat of a fire, but it burns in Ardith's eyes as she stares wild at Gridania's own Seedseer. When her ears stop ringing, Ardith realizes she is breathing very loudly. She stares at Kan-e.

"Kan-e," she whispers.

It is better to ground herself by watching her—Kan-e rises to her feet and hurries to her side. Her white robe has been opened, and her hair spills down her shoulders just as Ardith dreams of her. Perhaps she caught her before she could undress to her small clothes and find refuge beneath the sheets. Ardith clutches her arms around Kan-e, and doing so feels like physical sickness that rots a garden.

"What happened? You've gone absolutely cold."

Ardith does not respond but shakes her head. Her face buries into Kan-e's neck, hiding from the haunt. She worries about blonde hair stained red, for she cannot tell who it belongs to.

With a hesitant understanding, Kan-e wraps her arms around Ardith, pulling her just as tight as Ardith does her. Her voice is a feather that rests on a still pond, yet it is the silence that soothes Ardith; there is no steel meeting steel, or a harrowing scream of pain. It is silent, save for Kan-e's breathing. She is here, after following Ardith's struggle, and she is here to hold her, living and warm.

For the first time, Ardith takes a heavy breath.

"I'm fine," she says, steadily. "It was... I just... things. Got to me."

Kan-e's hand brushes through her long hair, soft like saffron and the colour of fresh earth. Ardith's own grip Kan-e's mane of gold, breathing deep, memorizing the sweet taste of Gridania's green in her skin. Like lowering oneself into a running river, she feels her whole body washed of the tension that cools inside her, and it is easy to relax into Kan-e's arms. 

She turns her head and kisses her. It is quick, and across Kan-e's cheek. Finally, Ardith opens her eyes, and meets the soft gaze in Kan-e's eyes. 

"Everything... it's been difficult," she admits, soft and under her breath. "Just admitting it... feels ridiculous. That it got to me."

"Admitting pain is not a sin," Kan-e replies, just as soft.

"But everyone's feeling it. To crumble beneath what burdens everyone... it feels like weakness. That I'll let everyone down."

Kan-e touches her cheek, soft like featherdown. "If even one person remains standing, hope can last. And you have  _ not _ crumbled. You have stood against an empire that no one in all of Eorzea has managed to accomplish before you."

Ardith draws in a breath, gripping her white robes. Her fingers are trembling.

"Is that... is that a good thing?" she asks, and she is uncertain who can answer. "To be the one that stands—what does that make of them? Are they strong, or do they live for the fight?"

Kan-e's eyes soften, a stare that searches across Ardith's agony and looks for something to soothe. She holds her close, helping Ardith rest her body against her own, the open spread of her white robes welcoming her like a well-made blanket. Ardith falls into the offered mercy, embracing her with warmth, the urgency tapering away, as does the fear that Kan-e may slip from her and forsake a hero savaged. "I believe only the Hero themself could make that decision," Kan-e replies, stroking Ardith's shoulder. "if it is peace or violence that they crave. Yet, they should look upon their actions among those that behold them, and measure their truth by those accounts."

Her other hand brushes Ardith's cheek with her thumb, stroking gently. "It is complicated, learning the truth about oneself. But the journey needs not be lonely."

She is slow to nod along to Kan-e's words, but when she does, it feels like kindness in waves; a river of gold that cleanses the toxins of her corpse, allowing the glen to blossom once more. She rests her forehead to hers, and with one soft sigh against her cheek, Ardith kisses her. It is warm, like two suns mingling; a type of relief she was sure of, yet uncertain if she could obtain. Gracefully, Kan-e reciprocates.

She cups Ardith's face with her hands and brushes her sandy hair back, allowing her to stroke her cheeks. Kan-e smiles against her skin and it makes Ardith melt, as if she is being blessed by both kindness and understanding. She allows her hands to fall to find her skin, remembering where her gown falls open— when she touches her, her body runs warm. Mostly from remembering she is still wearing filthy gloves.

"My apologies," Ardith confesses, and when she parts to unbuckle the leather gloves, Kan-e laughs. Ardith removes the guards, and then lays them on a clean yet lonely looking dresser. When she looks back to her Seedseer, Kan-e has dropped her robes by the wide bed.

"There is no need," Kan-e gently croons, and as the Ala Mhigan sun spills into their bedroom, Ardith is uncertain just where she should stare.

She undresses herself with much less grace than Kan-e provided, and it makes Kan-e's knowing smile curl into something playful. Ardith drops what armour remains upon her, with all that remains is her black linen shirt tied in Rhalgr violet. Her undergarments remain, yet still she feels far more revealed than Kan-e. It is the beauty of nature that shines across forsaken warriors, she supposes. Perhaps she will never truly feel kindness upon her heart, but she can appreciate its warmth nonetheless.

Ardith joins Kan-e on the edge of the bed, reaching for her once more and embracing her body. Kan-e returns the gesture, hugging her beloved Warrior close with a kiss. Ardith leads her back, adjusting their bodies with each breath, until Kan-e helps the warm sheets across Ardith's hips, draping across them both.

Ardith feels a new warmth, something more intimate— though not without surprise. "I— would love to have you this evening, Kan-e-Senna."

"I had expected you to," Kan-e replies, flushing Ardith a red colour. "I hope that does not deter you. I anticipated you. It is well that I found you."

Kan-e reaches up, and strokes Ardith's cheek once more. "I would desire nothing less than to see you liberated and free, just as your homeland is now. Limitless and proud."

For once, Ardith does not feel the cold touch of doubt, but instead, the endless blue of Ala Mhigo's sky. "And I will gladly show you that pride."

Kan-e pulls on the sash around Ardith's hip, allowing it to spill against her body before discarding it off their bed. Her arms meet around Ardith's neck as her lips meets hers, with a warm sigh. Ardith finds her chest, running both hands down her breasts and across her stomach, thumb against her hip. Kan-e runs her hands down her back, across the fabric of her shirt and to the hem of her underwear. As she pulls it down, Ardith hums and whimpers.

It takes some shuffling for her to climb out of the last of her clothing. Ardith takes her place between Kan-e once more, and shudders with her cock rutting against the crook of Kan-e's legs. Kan-e bites her lip.

Her hand runs down the beautiful shape of Ardith, running her fingers between her shirt to tease her breasts and find the path down her stomach. Ardith braces herself over Kan-e, arms at her sides and on her elbows, as she melts beneath her fair touch, how she touches her cock and leads to her thighs, ghosting across her skin the way wind does rolling grass.

Kan-e rolls a laugh off her tongue once she cups Ardith and feels her grow firm. It is a subtle change, how she stiffens from Kan-e's reverent smile and her teasing fingertips. "Would you rather I settle on top?"

Ardith balks, as she always does. A refined warrior, and yet she falls apart at an intimate caress. "If— If it wouldn't be too much, I'd rather stay like this."

"I'm only teasing, my dear." Kan-e curls her hand around her again, stroking gently. "At your pace."

Ardith lowers herself down Kan-e's body, saddened to lose her touch against her. She kisses her stomach, nuzzling the warmth that blossoms, kissing around the crux of her legs. She kisses her thighs, she kisses halfway to her knee; it's warmer beneath the blanket, but she reveres the sunlight she steals away. Ardith begins to kiss Kan-e's folds, leading with her lips and then tongue against her. Kan-e adjusts her hips, and sighs from above.

It has been some time, yet she labours with tongue and fingers just as diligently as the night she stole away with the Seedseer for the first time. Ardith opens her like a routine she cherishes, just as much as she drinks in the sounds Kan-e makes. When she leads a finger into her, she feels Kan-e already clench. She kisses her clit while curling the same finger, and it makes Kan-e hold on to a squeal.

"How unfair!" she proclaims, teasing yet impatient. Ardith grins and repeats the motion, pressuring her body by rocking her wrist. She presses two fingers into her, and drags her tongue from entrance to peak. Kan-e keens with a sharp breath. Her hands tangle into Ardith's hair, coiling in her twitching fingers and tugging as every corner of her is memorized. Her thighs rest across Ardith's shoulders, and it gives her a rush when Kan-e's legs tighten.

Kan-e lifts her hips as Ardith presses her mouth firm against her, and it leaves her panting. Ardith pulls and laps and presses firm, and only relents when Kan-e's hands begin to scratch her scalp. She lifts her head, watching Kan-e's expression furrow together, and draws herself up her body. Kan-e opens her eyes and pulls her in, with a determined kiss. Ardith is thrilled to share the taste of her own body with her, and is further excited as Kan-e's legs wrap around her hips and pulls her even farther. She slips up against her well-lavished cunt, shuddering at the warm friction.

With one hand supported by Kan-e's head, Ardith reaches down to her cock and holds it to line with Kan-e's entrance. She eases forward, angling her hips and breaching her legs, and she is mesmerized at how well Kan-e opens up for her and she is enveloped. She is warm, as ever as the sun, leaving Ardith shaking as she hilts herself inside. Kan-e languishes a loud groan. 

"Couldn't help myself," Ardith confesses, gathering Kan-e in her arms, "I— Kan-e, you're beautiful—"

"As are you," she pants, cradling Ardith's head to her collar, " _ Ardith _ — please move, I beg of you—"

So she moves, with sweet rolls of sturdy hips that reach far and deep, rocking into the gentle warmth of Kan-e-Senna. She bumps against her when her hips slot as far as they can go, and each stroke leaves them both breathless. Ardith knows she is trembling more than Kan-e, her whole body overwhelmed and wound tight with an incredible sensation spreading throughout her. She takes her time to fuck Kan-e, patient and careful, peppered with gasps and yearning groans of her Seedseer's name. She is matched with the same fervour, her name cries between proclamations of  _ Twelve, mercy  _ and  _ yes, yes, yes. _

Kan-e asks for it at  _ that _ angle again, again— and Ardith thrusts in with enough force that Kan-e groans, lavishly and open, arms clutching tight and then falling at her side. Ardith holds her hip and braces herself more, providing the same firm stroke. Kan-e cries  _ Ardith! _ with a pitchy gasp, and it makes Ardith tremble with a wide grin. Confidence builds as she fucks her, as Kan-e cries with praise and ecstasy.

"By the Twelve," Kan-e groans, clenching down around Ardith's cock. It makes Ardith tense in a delicious way, pulling a groan out of the Warrior of Light. Kan-e reaches for the hand on her hip and guides it to her centre, frantically fumbling to get Ardith against her clit. Her thumb grazes the tender flesh, which makes Kan-e jolt and clench right around Ardith once again.

She pants, heavy and longing, as she brings her knees further up to help Kan-e rest on them. Her hips lift and settle against Ardith's thighs, giving her a deep angle to pound her with. Ardith can feel her body tense, like corners drawn tight and spreading her wide and open, as she pants and labours her beloved Seedseer. She murmurs her name, over and over against her shoulder, mouth to her collar and body bending to service her. Among her listless words and Kan-e's equally as urgent breaths, Ardith can feel the sudden spasm of ravenous pleasure around her, as Kan-e's voice pitches to her finish and she cries her name.  


Her hand snaps to Kan-e's hip once more to assist in her withdrawl, as she pulls her cock free from the inviting heat of Kan-e and strokes herself with a precise care— she curls her fist firm around her cock and brings forth her release, gasping wordlessly as she spills across Kan-e's stomach and stains her white. 

Desperate for clean, Ala Mhigan air, Ardith throws her head back with one last gasp, feeling the coil of her body give way and she finally, finally, feels her spirits return. She tips her head down, panting and with a new wash of flustered relief across her skin, and looks at Kan-e ground herself just the same.  Kan-e's neck is flushed red, up to her jaw and across her cheeks. She is as bare and undone as Ardith, and smiles a wide, delighted smile, her inhibition cast aside as easily as the sash of Ardith's uniform.

"You are beautiful," Kan-e confesses.

Ardith feels herself humbled, drinking from the compliment as she would water from a Gridanian spring. Like a knight surprised by a compliment delivered from the fair lady she seeks favour with, and other stories she remembers from youth. "I could say the same for you," she whispers.

Kan-e reaches up, cradling her face as she did when she stood in her door, and brings Ardith back down, arching across Kan-e to receive her kiss. Light yet lingering, Ardith feels her body give in to the soothing warmth, and her own hands meet Kan-e's across her face as she lowers to her side and wraps her arms around Kan-e once more.


End file.
